Manufacture of mercerized products



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. SCHERMERHORN, OF EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO CHIPMAN KNITTING MILLS, OF EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA, A. CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

VANIA.

- MANUFACTURE OF MERCERIZED PRODUCTS.

1,363,358, Specification of Letters Patent.

No Drawing. Application filed January 8, 1920.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE E. SoHERMnn- HORN, a citizen of the United States, residing in Easton, in the county of Northampton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Mercerized Products, whereof the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to the manufacture of mercerized products and the like, and especially to the production of mercerized yarn. The object of my invention is to facilitate and cheapeu manufacture, and to improve the strength, gloss, and other qual1- ties of the product.

Mercerizing, as is Well known, is a process of chemically treating fiber to give it a glossy or lustrous appearance resembling that of silk,-as by immersing cotton fiber in a suitably concentrated caustic solution. For the attainment of the best (or even satisfactory) results in the mercerizing operation, it is necessary that the shrinkage of the fiber incidental thereto be resisted or counteracted sufiiciently to impose considerable tension on it; and the fiber must, therefore, be in such a condition and be so manipulated as to enable it to receive and sustain such tension.

\Vhile there is usually no great difficulty on this score in mercerizing woven cloth or other fabrics, the case is quite different when it comes to producing mercerized yarn. The coarser sizes or numbers (whether ply or single yarn) can, indeed, be handled quite successfully by putting them into warps or skeins for mercerization. But the finer numbers of thread or single yarnthose finer than counts equally 70, or than 80s singlehave not sufiicient strength to stand thestretching necessary in mercerization; and even when such finer numbers are brought through the mercerizing operation successfully (by extreme care, or owing to their being of'exoeptional quality), it is a very difficult matter to wind them afterward.

It has been proposed (in U. S. Patent No. 677,450, granted July 2, 1901 to Gros and Boucart) 4 to produce mercerized yarn by Serial No. 350,178.

porarily twisted for mercerizing at any of the so-called prepared cotton stages of yarn manufacture,-from carding to roving sl1ver,and that after mercerization it be untwisted to any extent desired, so as to restore it (more or less completely) to its condition when taken in hand,or even loosened or deviled back into the original condition of cotton-wool.

Promising as this procedure might appear, 1t does not, as a practical matter, give satisfactory results. On the contrary, it leads to excessive breakage and loss,-espe cially in the processes of yarn manufacture subsequent to the mercerization,-and thus results in annoyance and delay and in excessive manufacturing costs. The final product, moreover, is weaker than could be desired.

I have found that all these various difficulties in the manufacture of mercerized yarn can be overcome, and an excellent quality of such yarn produced in any size or number desired, by a procedure which,

superficially, may seem to resemble the cord method described above so closely as to appear identical with it, but which is, nevertheless, definitely distinct therefrom in both operation and results. I will hereinafter describe fully the best way of carrying out my invention at present known to me, indicating its scope and essentials in my claims.

I interpose the treatment of the yarn fiber characteristic of my invention in the usual or preferred process of manufacturing fiber into ordinary, unmercerized yarn,-interjecting it between successive steps thereof. For this purpose, I suspend the process of yarn manufacture at the stage of intensively doubled and drawn sliver, which, in the usual course of such manufacture, precedes slubbing, roving, and spinning. I subject the intensively doubled and drawn sliver to treatment which includes not only the mercerizing operation with its necessary incidents, but a subsequent extra and additional step or operation,-forming no part or necessary incident of either yarn manufacture or mercerizing. After the entire treatment is concluded, the yarn manufacturing process may be continued as usual from the stage where suspended for the treatment.

In connection with the mercerizing operation, 1 preferably employ certain special methods which improve the results obtained in various ways, both generally and in cooperation with my extra step subsequent to mercerization. These special methods, indeed, are in themselves a valuable improvement in the production of mercerized yarn, quite aside from the subsequent step above referred to.

The intensively doubled and drawn sliver produced in the course of yarn manufacture has little or no twist, and is usually (and for my purpose, preferably) of considerable size or mass per unit of length. I proceed, therefore, to impart to it (as on a slubbing frame) suflicient twist to enable it to stand the tension of mercerization: this has the effect of converting it into a rather tight, stout, heavy roving. F or reasons which will appear hereinafter, I prefer that this mercerizing twist be in the reverse direction of the subsequently intended twist of the yarn; and I prefer to do the twisting on a stubbing-frame' equipped with metal-toothed rolls, so as to'insure perfect uniformity of twist. This twisted sliver or roving may conveniently be reeled into a slrein (as on a reeler), and in'this form put through the mercerizing operation in any ordinary or preferredmanner, being washed, dried, and the like, etc., as usual. For convenience in handling, the mercerized twisted sliver or roving may now be spooledon a spooler. It is then countertwisted (as on a slubbingframe), so as to take out the temporary mercerizing twist and leave it with or, rather, put in, if it was reverse twisted for mercerizing-such small amount of the yarn twist as will afford strength for handling Without interfering with subsequent opera.- tions. This completes the mercerizing and incidental operations according to my preferred practice, and leaves the material. ready for the additional operation or step referred to above.

The final step of my treatment, preparatory to continuing the process of yarn manufacture, consists in subjecting the mercerized sliver,-which has already been intensively doubled and drawn in the preceding operations of ordinary yarn manufacture-to extra doubling and drawing of intensive character (which may be done on a drawingframe). The best results are obtained by making this operation highly intensive,

in the sense of doubling together a great many sliver ends, drawing the resultant aggregate sliver down to a linal size less than (or not much exceeding) that of each of the component slivers. I prefer to double together some dozen ends at once. The operation may be made still more intensive by repetition; ordinarily, I prefer to have at least two such individual extra doublings and drawings.

This extra, intensive doubling and drawing, preferably repeated one or more times, concludes the treatment of the yarn fiber characteristic of my invention,'and leaves the material ready to undergo the final part of the yarn manufacturing process proper. This may consist of the usual operations on a regular slubbing frame, an intermediate, a roving jack, and a spinning frame, with the relatively mild doubling and drawing incident thereto.

F or the benefit of those desiring to practice my invention more intelligently, 1 will now explain, to the best of my ability, the results produced by the operations that 1 have described, and their interrelation to one another. It will be understood, however, that the practical employment and success of the invention do not depend on this explanation, but only on the directions for carrying out the invention already given.

At the stage of fully, intensively doubled and drawn sliver produced in the normal yarn manufacturing process, the material has been. brought to a condition of a com pactness, uniformity, and strength such as enables it, when temporarily twisted, to stand the tension necessary for mercerizing to the best advantage. It is, at the same time, in a condition to undergo the subsequent extra doubling and drawing more readily than at a later and still more compact stage,-with less interference with subsequent operations,and to be more greatly benefited thereby. If, on the other hand, this treatment should take place earlier in the yarn manufacturing process, the dam age and consequent loss in mercerization would be high; and if it should take place later, the product would be inferior, or some of the concluding operations of yarn manufacture proper (2'. 6., those subsequent to the regular doubling and drawing) that had already been performed might have to be repeated. The temporarily twisted sliver or roving operated on in the mercerizing would, moreover, be of smaller size and of greater length, so that its strength for mercerizing would be less and the time and cost of reeling and spooling it before and after mercerization would be greater.

The extra operation of intensive doubling and drawing yields rounder, smoother, more even mercerized sliver, which is both stronger and more uniform. The material runs much better in subsequent operations, from slubbing on, with less breakage of threads, greatly increased production, and more perfect yarn, which has a higher luster itself and forms thread of higher luster. As regards strength and uniformity, the benefit seems to be due to the fact that mercerization injures the material not, as heretofore supposed, by weakening the fibers themselves, but merely by loosening or otherwise impairing their previously established relations of contact, interlacing, and mutual and reciprocal support and reinforcement. Such being the case, the intensive doubling and drawing of the mercerized sliver establishes new relations of the fibers similar, in both kind and degree, to those which give the unmercerized sliver its capacity for forming strong, uniform ordinary yarn, and so results in the final production of strong, uniform mercerized yarn. As regards luster, the benefit seems to be due to the better intermingling of fibers from all parts of the component slivers and the greater degree to which their inner and better mercerized fibers are brought to the outside of the final y The reverse twisting of the sliver for mercerizing enhances the benefit of the sub sequent extra intensive doubling and drawing operation,-as if the effect of the subsequent untwisting and counter-twisting were to turn the sliver wrong side out, so to speak, and predispose its component fibers toward forming new combinations among themselves in the subsequent operation. It naturally tends, also, of itself alone, to result in bringing the inner fibers to the outside of the yarn, and so to heighten its gloss or luster.

It will be seen, therefore, that my invention presents two principal features whlch are, on the one hand, cooperatively and interdependently beneficial when employed in connection with one another, and, on the other hand, individuall and independently useful when used sing y; viz., the reverse twisting for mercerization, and the subsequent extra and intensive doubling and drawing. Both of these features vitally distinguish my invention from the old cord proposal mentioned above,regardless of the stage of yarn manufactured at which the material is corded and mercerized under that proposal. This is so because if the cording and mercerization occur at the same stage as under my invention, there is no subsequent intensive doubling and drawing whatever; while if they occur prior to the intensive doubling and drawing of ordinary yarn manufacture, the material is not in the most favorable condition for mercerizing. It may be noted, moreover, that my extra doubling and drawing is preferably much more intensive than that of ordinary yarn manufactime, since I prefer to double together, at one time, about twice as many sliver ends as are customarily so doubled in such manufacture.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A method of producing mercerized yarn by treatment of the yarn fiber interposed in the process of yarn manufacture, which method and treatment comprise mercerizing the fiber at the stage of intensively doubled and drawn sliver produced in the course of such manufacture, and subjecting the mercerized sliver to extra and intensive doubling and drawing, and then continuing the process of yarn manufacture from the stage where suspended for the treatment.

2. A method of producing mercerized yarn by treatment of the yarn fiber interposed in the process of its manufacture into yarn; which method and treatment comprise temporarily twisting the intensively doubled and drawn sliver produced in the course of such manufacture in a direction the reverse of the intended subsequent yarn twist, and

subjecting the sliver to the mercerizing operation while so twisted; subjecting the mercerized sliver to extra and intensive doubling and drawing; and then continuing the process of yarn manufacture from the stage where suspended for the treatment, with a twist the reverse of the aforesaid twisting for mercerization.

3. In the production of mercerized yarn by treatment of the yarn fiber inte osed in the process of yarn manufacture at t e stage of intensively doubled and drawn sliver produced in the course of such manufacture; the method and treatment which comprise twisting such intensively doubled and drawn sliver in a direction the reverse of the yarn twist; subjecting the twisted sliver to the mercerizing operation; countertwisting the mercerized sliver to remove the mercerizing twist and impart some of the yarn twist; subjecting the mercerized sliver to repeated extra and intensive doubling and drawing; and then continuing the process of yarn manufacture from the stage where suspended for the treatment.

4. In the production of mercerized yarn by mercerization of the yarn fiber in the stage of intensively doubled and drawn sliver produced in the process of yarn manufacture while such sliver is temporarily twisted, the extra step which consists in subjecting the resultant mercerized sliver to extra and intensive doubling and drawing preparatory to continuing the yarn manufacturing process from the stage where suspended for the mercerizing operation.

5. In the production of mercerized yarn by mercerization of the yarn fiber in the course of the process of yarn manufacture, the method which consists in temporarily twisting the yarn fiber, forthe mercerizing In witness whereof I have hereunto set operazion, i'g a direction the reverse1 off the my hand and seal this 5th day of Jan, 1920.

inten ed su sequent yarn twist, an a ter- V Ward manufacturing the mercerized fiber SOHERMERHORN 5 into yarn with a twist the reverse of the Witnesses:

aforesaid twisting for the mercerizing oper- CHESTER A. HARVEY,

ation. t JOHN F. WOLFE. 

